Business Officer (Anticipatory)

Important messages

Do you have a passion for economic development? We are looking for people who really know how to assess economic development project proposals and are able to find the best ones for Pacific Economic Development Canada (PacifiCan) to invest in to help make British Columbia an even greater place to live and work! PacifiCan is the federal economic development agency focused on British Columbia’s developing, growing and adapting economy.

We are looking for client-focused Business Officers to join our team. We want Business Officers who are passionate about the place they live, the work they do and who care about the Canadians they serve. We want people who will engage with their communities, learn what economic development means at a regional and local level, and help shape and deliver national policies and programs.

We are looking to establish a pool of qualified candidates that may be considered for both temporary and permanent positions to help in the delivery of programs, including but not limited to the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation initiative (REGI) and PacifiCan’s new three-year Tourism Growth Program (TGP). Term positions with the Tourism Growth Program will end March 31, 2026.

We have service locations in Victoria, Campbell River, Kelowna, Cranbrook, Prince George, Prince Rupert, Fort St. John, Vancouver and Surrey. Please note: these positions are not eligible for 100% remote work. Candidates will be expected to report to a PacifiCan office location under a hybrid model of work.

Duties

About the role:

Business Officers help local governments, businesses, not-for-profit organizations, First Nations and other client groups access federal economic development programs and services. Working closely with a range of stakeholders and partners to advance economic development priorities in BC, Business Officers support communities in achieving their economic goals. This opportunity will focus on supporting the programs team that deliver programs to businesses and business ecosystems organizations. As a Business Officer, you will be involved in the assessment and evaluation of program applications, pathfinding, and program administration. You will find success in this role if you understand the British Columbia economy, have strong assessment and communications skills and you are eager to make a contribution as part of a team. This job will appeal to those individuals who want to make a difference and support British Columbians to achieve economic success. If that describes you, we encourage you to apply!

As part of the PacifiCan team, you will use your knowledge and networks to facilitate economic development in communities through the following roles:

💼 Convenor – a trusted federal partner that understands local and regional circumstances and can make linkages within and outside of government to drive strategic investments and joint economic ventures.
💼Pathfinder – connect entrepreneurs, economic development organizations and communities with federal programming and services to increase their participation in British Columbia's economy.
💼Advisor – provide insights into regional economic issues to inform national policy and program decisions, and contribute to the development of regional engagement strategies and advice to the federal government.
💼 Investor – guide clients to access PacifiCan’s funding programs to capitalize on strategic regional investment opportunities or identify other sources of funding to support economic growth, job creation, improved economic competitiveness and other related objectives.

Work environment

About PacifiCan:

Pacific Economic Development Canada promotes the development of British Columbia’s economy and advances the interests of BC in national economic policy and program development and delivery. We work with a broad range of stakeholders and partners including other levels of government, First Nations, post-secondary institutions, research organizations and industry associations and offer a broad range of programs to support business growth, innovation and economic inclusion.

PacifiCan is an innovative workplace. We consistently rank as a top federal department to work for, and we are driven to be the best at what we do. We hire top talent and provide an employment experience that brings out the best in people. We are motivated by achieving great results for British Columbians and Canadians.

Why PacifiCan? If you join our team, you will:

✔️Work with interesting, fun and engaged people who support each other and love the work they do;
✔️Contribute to meaningful work that strengthens the economy and makes a difference in the lives of British Columbians and Canadians;
✔️Enjoy a culture of continuous learning and support for your professional development;
✔️Gain exposure to diverse economic sectors and issues of importance to the future economy;
✔️Enjoy flexible work arrangements;
✔️Work with modern tools and technology; and
✔️Work with an innovative leadership team that is passionate about hiring and developing talent, and achieving results.

At PacifiCan, we enjoy a hybrid work model reporting to an office location 2-3 days per week. If you are appointed to a position, PacifiCan will provide tools and/or equipment to support telework for the days when employees are not expected to report to the office.

PacifiCan offices are open environments with well-regulated air quality, ergonomic sit/stand workstations, and a combination of natural and fluorescent lighting. The physical demands of these positions include spending a significant amount of time working on a computer and reading documents. This role will also involve meeting with stakeholders virtually by video and telephone, and in-person.

Please note, we are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. If you need to be accommodated during any phase of the process, please contact Carolyn Veitch by email at . Information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.

Intent of the process

We are hiring Business Officers to fill one permanent position in Kelowna and up to three temporary positions projected to end in March 2026.

In addition, this recruitment process may be used to establish a pool of qualified candidates to staff similar positions of various tenures (including but not limited to term and indeterminate appointments, internal assignments, secondments, deployments, acting appointments, and casual work assignments). The pool may also be used to staff positions with various security requirements, language requirements, conditions of employment, and in any PacifiCan office location.

Positions to be filled: 4

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

In order to be considered, your application must clearly explain how you meet the following (essential qualifications)

When you apply you will be asked a series of screening questions based on the education and experience criteria below. When answering the screening questions, please provide:
► Concrete and detailed examples to demonstrate how you meet the qualifications;
► Where, when and how the experience was acquired

Education:
• Graduation with a degree from a recognized post-secondary institution with acceptable specialization in a field relevant to the position OR a combination of education, training and professional experience.

Degree equivalency

Experience:
• Experience developing and sustaining collaborative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders including businesses, community leaders, or government departments.
• Experience developing or evaluating economic development project proposals, applications for funding, or business plans;
• Experience reviewing, analyzing and interpreting financial statements to evaluate sustainability of businesses or not-for-profit organizations;
• Experience participating in committees, working groups or project teams; and
• Experience analyzing information and providing written and oral advice with recommendations to internal stakeholders or external clients.

The following will be applied / assessed at a later date (essential for the job)

English essential

Information on language requirements

Knowledge:
• Knowledge of how regional development agencies and other federal, Indigenous, provincial and regional/municipal organizations support economic development and diversification in British Columbia.
• Knowledge of key factors influencing the Canadian economy and of the current economic and business trends, opportunities and challenges in British Columbia.

Competencies:
• Critical thinking and analysis
• Showing initiative and being action-oriented
• Demonstrating integrity and respect
• Communication (Oral and Written)
• Business acumen
• Adaptability

Abilities:
• Ability to integrate local and regional economic considerations into strategic advice;
• Ability to synthesize information and deliver recommendations in both writing and through verbal briefings.

The following may be applied / assessed at a later date (may be needed for the job)

ASSET QUALIFICATIONS

Education:
• Graduation with a master’s degree from a recognized post-secondary institution with a specialization in Economics, Business, Finance, Public Administration or other field relevant to the position being staffed.

Degree equivalency

Experience:
• Engaging with and/or presenting to diverse stakeholder groups including businesses, not-for-profit organizations, municipalities and/or Indigenous communities;
• Delivering or developing initiatives through Grants and Contributions programs;
• Providing pathfinding advice/guidance to companies and organizations seeking funding support;
• Assessing applications for repayable funding/loans and/or monitoring a portfolio of repayable project/loans; and
• Using stakeholder management systems and software applications (e.g., PowerBI, Microsoft Dynamic CRM, Adobe Writer, Project Gateway).

Note: depth, breadth and scope of experience in any one or combination of the experience factors may be applied at any stage in the hiring process.

Diversity and Inclusiveness (Organizational Needs):
• Pacific Economic Development Canada is committed to having an inclusive and diverse workforce representative of the population we serve. In support of our strategy to achieve our employment equity goals, consideration may be given to candidates who self-identify belonging to one of the following employment equity groups: Aboriginal peoples, persons with disability, visible minorities and women.

Operational Requirements:
• Willingness to travel as required.
• Willingness to work overtime on occasion as required.

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance

Other information

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the Canadians we serve. We promote employment equity and encourage you to indicate if you belong to one of the designated groups when you apply.

Information on employment equity

Communication for this process will be sent via email. Applicants must check their email accounts frequently as there may be a deadline for responses. It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure accurate contact information is provided and updated as required. Candidates who apply to this selection process should include an email address that accepts email from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email).

Depending on the number of applicants, the needs and/or Human Resources plans, volume management strategies such as random selection, top-down approach and/or establishing cut-off scores to determine who will continue in the staffing process, will be used for the purpose of managing applications.

Preference

Preference will be given to veterans first and then to Canadian citizens and permanent residents, with the exception of a job located in Nunavut, where Nunavut Inuit will be appointed first.

Information on the preference to veterans

We thank all those who apply. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.